This invention relates to can compactors, and in particular, to an electric, automatic can compacting machine.
Can compactors have become popular as more and more people have begun to recycle aluminum cans, such as beverage (i.e. soda) cans. Can compactors can significantly reduce the volume occupied by the can, and thus makes it easier to collect cans for recycling. The available can compactors can be divided into two categories: manually operated can compactors and automatic can compactors. The manually operated can compactors typically involve a lever which is pulled to compact a can between two opposing surfaces. Such can compactors are often wall mountable. While manual can compactors work acceptably in the home where the number of cans to be compacted is not great, they become impractical where there are a large number of cans to be compacted or in school settings, workplaces, offices, factories, etc. where a large number of empty beverage cans accumulate and need to be compacted.
To facilitate compacting a larger number of cans, many have devised electric can compactors. Such can compactors typically rely on a piston or an eccentrically rotating member to compact cans either axially or longitudinally. These currently available compactors, however, are complex in construction, slow in operation, limited to 100% undeformed cans and fail to address the residual fluids problem (i.e. they provide no means to collect fluids left in the cans). Many are easily jammed, especially when accepting the first or last can in a series of can. Other deficiencies of existing can compactors include the fact that many operate continuously, and may present a danger with unattended operation. Further, they often cannot accept partially deformed cans or cans of different sizes. In addition, most compacted cans are still rather large.
Further, many of the can compactors presently available are designed to sit atop a table. However, most of the cans that are compacted have at least some liquid remaining. Some of the cans may be nearly full of liquid. When the cans are compacted in table top compactors, the remaining liquid spills out of the can compactor onto the table or floor, thereby creating a considerable mess that must be cleaned up.
The numerous significant deficiencies of presently available can compactors have discouraged acceptance and wide-spread use. Yet there is a major market awaiting a can compactor that will correctly and satisfactorily solve these significant deficiencies.